Q: Dan, I know you talk about the importance of strategy in sales, but that is just not emphasized in my company. We are expected to respond to customer requests and that seems to be it. We have a pretty poor response record after sending out bids and I wonder if the use of strategy might make a difference?
Julie, Naples, Florida
A. Julie, when I was a new rep I remember approaching my manager excitedly saying, "A prospect just called out of the blue, and she wants us to give her a formal presentation tomorrow!" I jumped to fulfill the customer's request, thinking that I had to sing to the customer's tune. The fact that you are mechanically responding to bid requests is not good. It means you had no prior knowledge that the customer is about to buy a big product or solution. If you are covering your territory properly, this should not happen. You should know far in advance. If you're surprised by the request, then all of the following are probably true:
- You have not established trust with the customer.
- The customer did not want you involved early in this process.
- You did not help the customer put together the request for proposal.
- Your competitor probably helped your customer with the proposal request.
- The decision is soon.
- You are behind the eight-ball.
- You have no answers to any qualification questions.
- You have no strategy.
- You are probably beginning a Frontal Attack Strategy (described below--not good!).
Strategy is my favorite area of sales. This is where the magic happens and where your enthusiasm and intellect are rewarded. There are several books and programs on the topic of sales strategy, but most are either highly theoretical or extremely paperwork-intensive. Now there's an app for that! Please see our brand new free app on sales strategy: Selling Power® Sales Strategizer™, at www.salesstrategizer.com where all 12 major account strategies are explained, along with tips on how to deploy them. You may also wish to consider the PRO version of the app which will:
- Analyze data input to provide intelligence in the form of recommendations for the proper major account sales strategy (strategies) to employ.
- Consolidate user inputs to illustrate the chances of winning with an indicator gauge and digital readout.
- Submit "red flag" coaching feedback with action items to improve chances of winning.
- Coach and explain why inputs are critical by providing hyperlinks in each question.
- Present a simple and concise summary report to facilitate coaching & major account review.
- Provide summary report e-mail capability for sharing and printing.
- Create a database to store account Strategizer results for subsequent updates and modifications.
Reviewing the app, you will appreciate that choosing the right strategy at the right time requires an understanding of the complexity of the decision process, both from the customer's perspective and that of your company. Complex decisions require a superstar's strategic expertise, because these decisions are not static, but ever-changing; a superstar adjusts her sales approach accordingly. A strategy is selected based on how well it positions you to win the deal and crush your competition.
Julie, I am afraid you are trapped in the Frontal Attack Strategy. This strategy is defined as blindly facing off against your competitors exactly the way the customer tells you to, by agreeing to all of the customer's decision criteria and to her buying process. Most reps use this strategy in error. Picture this warfare scenario: Two rows of armed soldiers lined up on a battlefield across from one another and then marching mindlessly toward each other, with both sides suffering major casualties. Getting on that battlefield makes sense only if your side is armed with machine guns and the other side has squirt guns.
Let's imagine your customer saying, "I want a presentation," or "I need a quote tomorrow," or "I'm going to base my decision on the following criteria: initial cost, image quality, and the number of service engineers within a twenty-mile radius, ranked in that order." What do you do next? Nod and agree? If you agree to the customer's parameters, you are by default agreeing to a Frontal Attack, which is what 98% of all sales reps may do in that situation. After all, traditional sales methods say that customers are always right, and you should give them what they ask for.
If and only if your customer believes that your solution is ten times better than the competition at meeting their buying criteria then knock your socks off and take a Frontal Attack. Accede to every customer request, don't rock the boat, and do whatever the customer asks of you. Remember, though - this is rare.
If your client does not believe that your solution is ten times better than competitive offerings do not use a Frontal Attack Strategy. You must consider which of the other 11 major account strategies described in the Selling Power Sales Strategizer will give you a better chance at winning.
Finally, it's good to remember Sun Tsu's famous quote: "Those Skilled In War Subdue the Enemy's Army without Battle. They Conquer By Strategy"
Good Luck, and Close 'Em!
Daniel Adams, author of Building Trust, Growing
Sales, and creator of Trust Triangle Selling™
helps corporations improve their profits by optimizing the performance
of their sales teams. He is a frequent and popular speaker at
national sales meetings, workshops and association events. You
can visit his web site and read his other articles at www.trusttriangleselling.com.
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